Southwest Suspending hiring through 2024....

I normally hand fly until close to RVSM airspace, unless things are getting real crazy.....which isn't normally the case for my seniority type of flying (weekday redeyes). I've been trying to walk back when I click back out further and further as I get more experience.

Side note, I hear USN P-8s routinely land with AT on and AP off. So there's that :)
 
@Acrofox im surprised Skywest is ding a lot of 5 on, 1 or 2 off, 5 on kinda trips. How’s the staffing situation there for CAs and FOs? It it worse now staffing and trip quality wise versus pre-derby timeframe?
 
Cherokee_Cruiser said:
@Acrofox im surprised Skywest is ding a lot of 5 on, 1 or 2 off, 5 on kinda trips.
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Five/six day reserve blocks, so often 4-day + local, or 3-day + 2-day, etc.

Cherokee_Cruiser said:
How’s the staffing situation there for CAs and FOs? It it worse now staffing and trip quality wise versus pre-derby timeframe?
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For CA's, it's rough. For junior CAs, it's really rough. I'm at the bottom of the list forever, so my point of view is not the same as it was, but as it is now, it's pretty awful. For example, in February, I hit almost 100 hours of block on reserve.
 
In my 1000hrs in the right seat of an SJI 737, I've gone full "raw data" only a handful of times...and all those Capt's came from the same background as myself. Guys from the MIL are less inclinded to do that..."Woah now, I don't know how safe that is?!" I'm averaging more than double the handflying time as compared to the rest of the fleet, with around 21 mins of handflying time per leg.

With upgrade looming, I fully intend to allow my FO's handfly as much as they can (with respects to workload and their own skills), how else are they supposed to get better at it? I found in my time in the training dept, if you have your FO handfly and tell you want they want from the MCP, they figure out quicker how to manpulate the MCP on their own. Gets that grey matter working and exercising.

Edit...
Actually, if I ever get a trip with @roundout , that might be a "Why don't you try handflying the entire way to LAX today, it'll be good for you". :D
 
Inverted said:
Some of the newer FOs I fly with are really great. They fly really well, they are sharp, and they are engaged.
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As @derg will probably attest, it takes a considerable amount of nudging (like from a bulldozer) to get me to say anything to anyone about whatever, but the closest I've come to "correcting" an FO was to tell one who was a little bit too "engaged" that he had to kick back and let the other people do their jobs. Calling catering 4 times doesn't make them come any faster. It was like watching someone continually mash the elevator button, and it was seriously starting to harsh my zen thing.
 
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Richman said:
As @derg will probably attest, it takes a considerable amount of nudging (like from a bulldozer) to get me to say anything to anyone about whatever, but the closest I've come to "correcting" an FO was to tell one who was a little bit too "engaged" that he had to kick back and let the other people do their jobs. Calling catering 4 times doesn't make them come any faster. It was like watching someone continually mash the elevator button, and it was seriously starting to harsh my zen thing.
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Wait wait wait…you’re not supposed to watch the FO call ops, then call yourself…but use your “Captain voice” to say the same exact thing?
 
killbilly said:
So this is just a teeny, tiny, partial de-rail, but I'd like to ask a general question of the more seasoned Captains out there, since I'm a pretty inexperienced FO.

I like to hand-fly. And I would hand-fly more, but I've gotten a very distinct impression from a number of my Captains that:

1) It makes more work for them and they really don't like it.
2) A lot of them seem to think that turning off the automation means I don't know how to use it.

So when I get those vibes I tend to go the way I'm perceiving that the CA wants, despite my preference to do otherwise. In the case of Item 2, I don't really press the issue, I just kinda say "okay." That's passive. I know that's not always a good thing in an FO. I'm still learning how to do this job.

Common sense says that on a heavy IMC day, especially toward the end of a trip when everyone's tired, using a little more automation makes sense.

But what's the etiquette here when things are pretty nice and calm and clear and there's no reason not to other than....the other pilot doesn't really *want* you to....?
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I dont know what you fly, but on the Airbus, I think it does get a bit annoying as the PM if the PF is handflying to much. If you are handflying above 10K, you really arent gaining anything and its a PITA. Also, if you are consistently hand flying to join the loc while simultaneous approaches are being conducted, also a PITA and harder to manage as the PM. For example, if the autopilot is on, and approach armed, I know it will join when it supposed to without overshoot, If you are handflying, I do not know for certain and will need to pay a bit more closer attention. Handflying isnt unsafe, but It does wear the PM out a bit more if its happening all the time. I think its good to handfly and get used to that, but not every leg and maybe after you've flown a few legs to see what kind of personality youre dealing with in the other seat. If he/she is new and already "nervous in the service" maybe now isnt the time.
 
ZapBrannigan said:
But they don't. The autopilot is on from 1000 feet on climb out to 500 feet on approach and they spend the entire time in cruise screwing around on their phone. Children of the magenta line.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.
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Let me make you feel more like an old man yelling at clouds...I flew the Allegheny Livery plane last week and no one other than myself in the crew of 6 knew what it was, and one new FA saying " I was wondering how to pronounce that".
 
Richman said:
As @derg will probably attest, it takes a considerable amount of nudging (like from a bulldozer) to get me to say anything to anyone about whatever, but the closest I've come to "correcting" an FO was to tell one who a little bit too "engaged" that he had to kick back and let the other people do their jobs. Calling catering 4 times doesn't make them come any faster. It was like watching someone continually mash the elevator button and it was seriously starting to harsh my zen thing.
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Yea, I have had a few instances of that.

It seems to be new hires that were previously at a regional, who upgraded but didn't spend much time in the left seat. They have this almost, micro managing need for control over the operation. Literally had the same conversation with a new FO who was losing his mind over the lav's not being emptied. He gets on company freq and starts barking and I just look at him and told tim to relax. Two calls is good, everyone is working as hard as they can and if we take a delay for it, we take a delay for it. Popping blood vessels over it, won't get things done qucker.
 
SurferLucas said:
In my 1000hrs in the right seat of an SJI 737, I've gone full "raw data" only a handful of times...and all those Capt's came from the same background as myself. Guys from the MIL are less inclinded to do that..."Woah now, I don't know how safe that is?!" I'm averaging more than double the handflying time as compared to the rest of the fleet, with around 21 mins of handflying time per leg.

With upgrade looming, I fully intend to allow my FO's handfly as much as they can (with respects to workload and their own skills), how else are they supposed to get better at it? I found in my time in the training dept, if you have your FO handfly and tell you want they want from the MCP, they figure out quicker how to manpulate the MCP on their own. Gets that grey matter working and exercising.

Edit...
Actually, if I ever get a trip with @roundout , that might be a "Why don't you try handflying the entire way to LAX today, it'll be good for you". :D
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Watch SLIs’s heads explode if you use V/S in the sim. I mean, we kind of bring it upon ourselves. What is it 4000RVR and in IMC the AP is required to be on? Not saying I’m a super pilot but any pilot should be able to fly that without automation.
 
SurferLucas said:
In my 1000hrs in the right seat of an SJI 737, I've gone full "raw data" only a handful of times...and all those Capt's came from the same background as myself. Guys from the MIL are less inclinded to do that..."Woah now, I don't know how safe that is?!" I'm averaging more than double the handflying time as compared to the rest of the fleet, with around 21 mins of handflying time per leg.

With upgrade looming, I fully intend to allow my FO's handfly as much as they can (with respects to workload and their own skills), how else are they supposed to get better at it? I found in my time in the training dept, if you have your FO handfly and tell you want they want from the MCP, they figure out quicker how to manpulate the MCP on their own. Gets that grey matter working and exercising.

Edit...
Actually, if I ever get a trip with @roundout , that might be a "Why don't you try handflying the entire way to LAX today, it'll be good for you". :D
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IMG_5633.jpeg
 
SurferLucas said:
Wait wait wait…you’re not supposed to watch the FO call ops, then call yourself…but use your “Captain voice” to say the same exact thing?
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Back in the day, before the earth cooled, I used to fly in the upper Midwest on the DC-9. The -30s were 100 seats, but the -40s & -50s had more.

At most of the stations in SD, ND, IA and MT, the junior agent on the ramp had 25 years in. Those folks knew how to turn an airplane with minimum fuss. We’d roll in with 100 people and 30 minutes later we’d roll out with 100, and at no time did we feel rushed, bothered or time crunched. Most of the gates were TITO….taxi in taxi out.

Really the biggest hazard was avoiding the pterodactyls on departure.

I’m on the airplane I’m on for that same reason. Abundance of chill. People who infringe on my chill will receive the Richman Gaze of Doom and High Disapproval(tm).
 
Richman said:
Back in the day, before the earth cooled, I used to fly in the upper Midwest on the DC-9. The -30s were 100 seats, but the -40s & -50s had more.

At most of the stations in SD, ND, IA and MT, the junior agent on the ramp had 25 years in. Those folks knew how to turn an airplane with minimum fuss. We’d roll in with 100 people and 30 minutes later we’d roll out with 100, and at no time did we feel rushed, bothered or time crunched. Most of the gates were TITO….taxi in taxi out.

Really the biggest hazard was avoiding the pterodactyls on departure.

I’m on the airplane I’m on for that same reason. Abundance of chill. People who infringe on my chill will receive the Richman Gaze of Doom and High Disapproval(tm).
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TITO. Didn’t get to do any powered pushbacks?
 
MikeD said:
TITO. Didn’t get to do any powered pushbacks?
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Richman said:
It goes like this....

You get a "buddy" DC-9. Can be running the APU...or just running. Connect the pneumatic hose from the pneumatic port on one DC-9 to the other. Apply bleed air. Start. Done. Laugh politely at 100th innuendo laced joke from the CA about this process.

Or, you can just roll the first DC-9 down a hill and let the clutch out.

As for powerbacks...they go like this:

1) Wait for rampers to show up to give you the spinning finger.
2) Point out that rampers have no safety goggles.
3) Wait 5 minutes while rampers go find safety goggles.
4) Ramper finally gives you the finger, the stars align and you actually have the required wing walkers.
5) Start both engines.
6) Roll forward a bit to "get off the flat spots"
7) Set 1.4 EPR ("1.4 feet on the floor"). Remind self to keep away from the brakes.
8) Much sound and fury, and a vortex of sand, crap and debris swirl around the airplane.
9) FINALLY start creeping backwards at a clam's pace. Remind self to keep away from the brakes.
10) Pray that the ramper is paying attention, and not direcrting you into a culvert, ditch or other immovable object.
11) When enough groundhogs have been deafened by the sound and fury from #7, GENTLY come out of reverse and use a touch of thrust to stop. Remind self to keep away from the brakes.
12) Observe, with some satisfaction, that the fuel you just burned could have powered a tug until the heat death of the universe.
13) Proceed onwards to a life of religious fulfillment.

Note: All of the above are done with hand signals.

The 727 version of this was similar, except:
5a) Remember to remind the FE to turn the packs off
8a) Much more sound and fury.
9a) Backwards movement is 1/10 of a clam's pace.
11a) Remember to remind the FE turn backs back on.

Richman
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See attached quotation that belongs in the JC hall of fame.
 
Roger Roger said:
See attached quotation that belongs in the JC hall of fame.
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Ah! I missed that one. Very nice! I’ve seen a good number of those done in my time while just watching aircraft, and while it looks like a simple iteration at first glance, it always seemed like there was far more too it. And indeed, thats the case. Cool write up!

The UH-60 series has a Buddy start capability also, with some helos carrying the connector hose in the back.
 
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